Page 72 of Tides of Shadows

“And the fire answered. It gave them a son born of a flame.

“But for this gift, it took the sacrifice.

“After that no one dared to do it for a long while. We were afraid. The deaths of Valerius and Elara were a terrible blow and a tragedy.” He glanced toward Dricus with open pain.

Dricus sat unmoving, face of stone, yet I saw his hand twitch upon the table.

“The world continued,” father said. “Until the creatures came to our islands. Sea serpents greater than ships. Octopuses that dragged vessels under. Then my wife, Sarah, believed the prophecy more fiercely than I. She persuaded me that we must make the sacrifice. And we spilled our blood.”

His voice faltered.

“The element gave us a daughter born of water.” He looked at me.

My heart clenched in my breast. I knew what he would say next.

“But it took our son.” The old ache I knew too well rose in his eyes.

The room wheeled. I wished him to stop.

“All heard of my son’s illness,” he finished softly. “And the world forgot the prophecy again.”

“Until now. The Plague has reached the capital. Nicolas knew time had run thin. He went to the gods to beg their blessing. And the element gave him a son born of wind. In the offering it took him.”

Aidenar ceased to breathe. Cassandra sat rigid, face as pale as ash, her eyes like twin blades full of hatred.

“The Plague and the monsters are no accident,” father said firmly. “Someone has opened our world to the dark. Someone prayed to the god of darkness and poisoned the elements. Yesterday, someone tried to kill my daughter. And nearly succeeded.”

A murmur stirred the hall. I felt every gaze turn upon me.

My father reached into his cloak and set upon the table black bracelets that the medic was wearing.

“My wife’s visions sent me here. There are people who are ready to serve darkness, who want to destroy Dominium and the peace that reigns here. These stones bear forbidden magic, we will destroy them. But I’m afraid it’s just the beginning. We do not know their number, nor who commands them. Though I know this much. The prophecy is no myth.”

He lifted his eyes and let them pass over the room.

“To save this world and bring back the balance, the four elements must be reborn. Three of the chosen sit in this chamber, children of Families that paid the price. We need the fourth.”

No one spoke. All stared at the obsidian stones as if they were the one to speak.

Suddenly Lord Mermont leapt to his feet, fury burning in his eyes.

“After all this, do you really expect any of us to risk the lives of our Families to make another sacrifice?!” he exploded, pounding the table with his fist.

“Preposterous,” Orthalis shouted.

“You ruined your own Family with black arts and the ravings of your wife,” hissed Salvadore, pointing at my father.

“No one will force us to sacrifice our children,” Dorthal added, rising from his chair and spreading his arms dramatically.

The room turned to chaos.

Voices rose together, shouts and wrath and blame. The air trembled with feeling, and I sat motionless, as if ice bound every limb.

Then my father’s voice thundered. “Enough!”

Stillness fell like a sword. Victor Veymaris stood, vast and unshaken, a light in his eyes that made even the boldest lords lower their gaze.

Even Cassandra, at the end of the table, started.